We do know that Office 15 will get a Windows 8 Metro-style makeover, be designed for touchscreens and include lots of hooks to Microsoft's online services, including SkyDrive. SkyDrive is Microsoft's online file storage service. It includes freebie versions of Office tools Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote.

A lot is riding on the success of Office 15. Office is one of Microsoft's star bits of software that has helped the Microsoft Business Division bring in about $18 billion in revenue in its first three quarters of fiscal 2012.

So let's just say that if the new version bombs, that won't be good for Microsoft.

But the reverse is also true. If they love it particularly on touch devices, it will fuel their desire to move to Windows 8.

Remember, most enterprises buy their software from Microsoft on a three-year enterprise agreement that includes free upgrades to new software. So many of them can continue to buy older versions of Office for years.

Those agreements usually let them upgrade to the latest software for free, too, although Microsoft usually includes some rules in those contracts that allows them to charge some sort of fees when upgrading. If Office 15 is a hit, enterprises will want to renew those enterprise agreements, even if they aren't going to opt to roll it out right away.